


Pinned Down

by Crownonymous



Series: Whumptober 2019 [16]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21696469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crownonymous/pseuds/Crownonymous
Summary: Ryuji had wings, once.
Series: Whumptober 2019 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1522484
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Pinned Down

**Author's Note:**

> Day 16 of Whumptober 2019. First posted onto my tumblr, now I'm crossposting here.

Ryuji could fly, once.

He used to soar. Like a sparrow or, or an eagle. Never letting anyone or anything drag him down. He went anywhere he wanted to go, always with his friends by his side, laughing as they raced to see who would get to the Big Bang Burger in Central Street first. Nothing held him down. Gravity didn’t hold him down.

Track gave him wings.

And Ryuji flew.

He zipped down every course he was given with blood pumping and adrenaline singing in his veins. The wind brushed his hair, his gym uniform clung to his sweaty body, and Ryuji was weightless. Feet kicking off the dirt, Ryuji going faster and faster until everything was just a blur and nothing mattered but the feeling of absolute freedom. Of running for the sake of running. Of feeling the fluttering in his chest every time he beat his personal record, every time he managed to go faster, every time the breeze whispered in his ear and welcomed him home.

Some days, on the particularly bad days, Ryuji just… forgot. He forgot that Kamoshida broke his leg. Well. According to the doctors, Kamoshida didn’t just  _ break _ his leg. He shattered bone. The femur, actually. Along with fractures on the tibia and fibula. Effed it up so badly that Ryuji could never run again. Couldn’t put too much pressure on his leg. Hell, they even suspected that Ryuji won’t be able to walk.

Mom found a way somehow. Worked three jobs, looked into taking a fourth; overtime, triple shifts, covered for holidays and birthdays and weddings. Worked herself near exhaustion just so they could go to a better doctor, a surgeon, one who could fix Ryuji’s leg.

It wasn’t enough.

When he stood, it felt like Ryuji treaded on glass. When he walked, it felt like he was crossing rivers of coal and fire. When he tried to run, Ryuji collapsed under the strain, and could do nothing but sob into his mother’s chest and she held him close.

She apologised to him.

For not being enough. For not finding a good enough doctor who could give him his wings back. She apologised for not being home most of the time. She apologised that she couldn’t give Ryuji what he wanted. She apologised for not being enough. She apologised that Ryuji lost something he so dearly loved.

It’s a lot easier forgetting that he had a screwed up leg when he’s in the Metaverse fighting Shadows. The more he moved around, the more he became used to the flares of pain. The doctor who said he couldn’t walk again was wrong. Ryuji was fine. It just hurt a little, that’s all.

When he was out there, dodging ice spells and dishing out lightning, protecting his friends and helping them reform shitty people like Kamoshida, he had no time to think about the weight dragging him down. How gravity pulled him close. He could close his eyes and ignore everything.

Ryuji could pretend that he had wings again.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to know what I'm writing next click over [HERE](https://crownonymous.tumblr.com/sched)  
> If you want to stay updated on the progress I've made on my fics click [HERE](https://crownonymous.tumblr.com/tagged/crownonynews)  
> And if you want to come say hi or just get bombarded with random posts, you can find me over [HERE](https://landofsaltandshade.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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